LONG BEACH STREET COURSE | ROUND 3+4

The GT America Powered by AWS field took over the city streets in Race 1 of the Grand Prix of Long Beach presented by 5.11 on Saturday afternoon,  setting the scene for some scorching hot action on track.   Jason Daskalos fought hard to clinch the opening win of the weekend in the SRO3 Class, with Dan Knox flawlessly taking the win in GT2, and Isaac Sherman continuing his winning streak in GT4.

SRO3 Class

The streets of Long Beach bore witness to a gripping showdown in the SRO3 Class, with Johnny O’Connell speeding off from pole position in the No. 3 SKI Autosports Audi R8 LMS GT3 as the green flag dropped.

Throughout the race, James Sofronas and Jason Daskalos remained in hot pursuit in the No. 14 GMG Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 and No. 27 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, keeping the gap to the leader as tight as possible. Despite O’Connell's expert navigation through class traffic, Daskalos seized a golden opportunity with 28 minutes remaining, executing a daring move on Sofronas to secure second place before setting his sights on O’Connell ahead.

With the clock ticking down, lapped traffic injected chaos into the final minutes, with Daskalos and Sofronas going nose to tail with O’Connell in a nail-biting battle for the lead. As the last remaining five minutes approached, Daskalos seized the lead thanks to a breathtaking maneuver down the inside line, surging into first place and setting off on the clear track ahead.

He went on to set the CrowdStrike Fastest Lap of the race with a time of 1:19.511 before taking the checkered flag to triumphantly claim the Race 1 victory, with O’Connell finishing second, and Sofronas third. Daskalos was also the recipient of the SUPERFUEL Hard Charger Award.

Reflecting on his win, Daskalos remarked, “Johnny and I both had pretty equal machinery, but my car came alive late in the race and I was feeling great at the end. Traffic played into my hands, but that’s racing.”

GT2 Class

In the GT2 class, Dan Knox showcased his prowess in the No. 10 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT2, retaining the lead off the start amidst relentless pressure from Aaron Fahardi in the No. 127 TPC Racing Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2.

Fahardi continued to attempt to close the gap to Knox, who was powering down the track with speed and determination, not letting his focus waver as he concentrated on pushing forward all the way to the end.

The GT2 field kept it clean and never faltered, allowing Knox to surge across the finish line to claim victory, with Fahardi hot on his heels in second place, followed by Brent Holden in third in the No. 44 GMG Racing Mercedes-AMG GT2.

GT4 Class

The GT4 class witnessed an exhilarating battle from the very moment the green flag waved, with Isaac Sherman snatching the lead from Gray Newell off the start. Robb Holland also used the opportunity to further move himself up into second place in his No. 099 Rotek Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, sweeping past Newell to follow his teammate’s lead.

Sherman, who was driving in his first ever street race, displayed remarkable composure and skill in his No. 098 Rotek Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport as he navigated the twists and turns of Long Beach with finesse. Holland attempted to close the gap to Sherman in the final minutes of the event, but the traffic leaned in Sherman’s favor as he was able to maintain a healthy gap.

Sherman ultimately emerged victorious in the GT4 Class, with Holland securing second place to complete a perfect 1-2 finish for Rotek Racing. Meanwhile, Curt Swearingin fought tooth and nail across each lap in his No. 7 ACI Motorsports Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, as he was involved in an intense battle with Gray Newell in the No. 25 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 all the way to the finish line to claim the final spot on the podium.

Reflecting on his impressive performance, Sherman stated, “I didn’t know how this weekend was going to go for me, but I just focused on doing my best and hitting my lines, and it paid off in the end.”

Let’s Get Racing

The GT America Powered by AWS field will return to the track for Race 2 on Sunday, April 21st at 4:20 PM PDT to close out the Grand Prix of Long Beach presented by 5.11 weekend.